Blog of a course that allows students to learn how to use books, newspapers, magazines, journals, archives, databases, and the Internet to find and evaluate information on legendary creatures such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and other cryptids. It also encourages the developement of critical thinking skills to deal with extraordinary claims and ideas for thinking about them.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Monster Quest Birdzilla episode review

So, I realize I need to catch up a little on a few weeks worth of posts I forgot to put up here over the past month. My apologies in advance for the dump of information. I had a chance to sit down and watch the MonsterQuest episode titled "Birdzilla," the other day, and I have some thoughts.

Monster Quest does a pretty fantastic job with this episode. The producers examine the history of thunderbird sightings, recognizing the connection to native mythology. They also contact zoology experts and others who work in professions related to large birds of prey to get expert insight into some of the more famous thunderbird tales. The episode includes original video footage of supposed thunderbirds, and it examines the validity of the footage and reporting sightings while remaining impartial. One of the most interesting segments of the episode deals with the 1977 Illinois report that I mentioned earlier. The producers of Monster Quest were actually able to track down the young boy—now grown up—who claims to have been picked up and carried through the air by an extremely large black bird with a wingspan close to 15 feet.

Whoever posted these episodes put up quite a few additional ones. There's Monster Quest episodes on large killer fish, giant squid and of course the ubiquitous Bigfoot. I was surprised at the care and attention taken to be scientific in these shows. I guess I figured it would be more for entertainment, but the producers obviously are serious about looking for answers.